Oriyarasoi is on twitter !

Showing posts with label tofu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tofu. Show all posts

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Black Rice Sushi ( Welcome 2017 )

A fresh new year. New hopes. And new beginnings. Without any doubt, it is that day of the year when we are at out optimistic best. The more superstitious among us would like to put the events unfolding on this very day as the harbinger for the rest of the year. But it is important to believe that while cosmic events do influence our life, we too are an integral part of the universe. And the vibes (both positive/negative) given out by us are ultimately adding to the energies that surround us.

Apart from the 'positive thinking', 'eating healthy' happens to be one of my top resolutions for 2017. While it is true that I did not actually wait for the year to commence to get on with my resolutions, I plan to stick to it with greater diligence this year. It includes cutting down on meat and fish to introducing more of superfoods like broccoli, black rice, quinoa, chia seeds in my everyday diet. Plus there will be greater focus on native superfoods like amaranth, spinach, gooseberry, turmeric, alsi (flaxseeds) and subza(basil) .

Starting the year on a healthy note, the first post of 2017 is a super healthy 'Black Rice Sushi' with a filling of tofu, avocado, carrot and cucumber. This is one recipe that can easily be made a part of one's lunchbox. I am skipping the Nori sheets as I want to keep it completely vegan. Read on for the recipe -

















Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -
  • 1 cup sticky Black rice
  • 1 small carrot (cut into long pieces)
  • 1 small cucumber (cut into long pieces)
  • Tofu (cut into long pieces)
  • avocado (cut into long pieces)
For the Sushi rice vinegar or 'Tezu' -
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ( use rice vinegar if you have it )
  • a drops of soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp water
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • salt taste

Preparation  - Soak the black rice overnight.

Steam the carrot pieces till tender.

Mix the ingredients for the 'Tezu' in a cup.

Cook the black rice till it is slightly mushy. Add the tezu and mix it in. Allow to stand till it cools down and is just bearable to touch.

Take a aluminium foil and spread some of the black rice in a rectangle shape keeping about 1 1/2 - 2 inch space from the margins.

Place the tofu and the vegetable slices in the center of the rectangle. Lightly moisten the edges of the rice.

Gently grabbing the foil from the sides and using your fingers, roll it over keeping the vegetables in the center. Roll over a few times .

Remove the aluminium foil

Take a very sharp knife, moisten it and cut the sushi into 1 1/2 inch sized pieces.

[ Do check the video at the bottom of this post to learn the tricks of making a Sushi. ]

Serve it with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.






How to roll a sushi without using a Nori sheet -






Monday, August 8, 2016

Stir Fried Tofu

With more and more folks joining the vegan bandwagon, I need to keep reinventing the starters menu everytime I plan a gathering. With potatoes being on the 'must-avoid' list of most folks, I am left with the usual suspects of baby corn, peppers, mushrooms and broccoli. But since protein is an integral part of every meal, I had to think of something that tasted good without being too fussy to prepare. And discovered that this rather simple Tofu stir fry perfectly fits the bill .

While Tofu is quite bland just by itself, it magically soaks up all sorts of flavours during the marination process. So, yes, that is the single most important step when preparing any recipe with Tofu. In this dish, the addition of a few ingredients like soy sauce, vinegar, chillis and sesame oil transforms the flavour completely. Addition of veggies like carrot, spring onions, or beans further improves the visual appeal of this dish. Serve it to your guests and have them asking for seconds.

Check out the recipe -

















Preparation Time - 10 mins ( 30 mins standby )

Ingredients -

  • 200 gm firm Tofu
  • 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 6-7 dry red chilis ( medium spicy )
  • 8-10 garlic flakes ( finely chopped )
  • 1 small onion
  • salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup carrot juliennes 
  • 1/4 cup spring onion greens ( optional )
  • Sufficient oil for deep frying ( I use Fortune Vivo Diabetes care oil )
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation - Wash and cut the tofu into long strips. 

Marinate with 1 tsp vinegar, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, chili powder and salt. Keep aside for 30 mins.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Drop in the tofu pieces, a few at a time. Fry on a medium flame.

Once they turn golden, remove and keep on paper towels.

Heat another skillet. Add about 1 tsp sesame oil to it.

Add the red chilis and chopped garlic. Saute for 1 min.

Then add the onions and carrot juliennes. Stir fry till onion turns translucent.

Add the fried tofu and sprinkle the remaining soy sauce and vinegar. Also, add  Season with a little bit of salt .(optional since soy sauce has some saltiness to it)

Toss on a medium high flame for 2 mins

Remove from skillet and serve hot .


Friday, February 19, 2016

Broccoli and Tofu Salad

Yet another vegan recipe !! In my quest to give up meat and dairy, I am slowly and steadily introducing new recipes in our everyday menu. Though it is going to be kinda tough given the fact that both my husband and kid love their fish and poultry, I am not giving up yet. Rather I make it a point to try out alternate dishes for myself which can be prepared in a jiffy.

This recipe for example is simple and yet loaded with nutrients. Broccoli and tofu married with a mild seasoning of Asian flavours, this salad can serve as a major proportion of one's lunch. I prefer to have it with some soup or toasted brown bread.

Read on for this recipe -

















Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

  • 2 cups broccoli
  • 100 gm tofu
  • 2-3 garlic flakes ( finely chopped )
  • 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 3-4 dry red chilis
  • 1 tsp honey
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp canola oil / rice bran oil
  • 1/2 of 1 lemon
  • a dash of pepper


Preparation - Steam the broccoli florets.

Cut the tofu into thin long strips.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the dry red chilis and garlic. Fry till fragrant.

Throw in the tofu and soy sauce. Toss for 1-2 mins.

Add the broccoli florets. Season with salt. Toss for 2-3 mins.

Finally add the honey, pepper and lemon juice. Mix gently to coat the broccoli and tofu with the seasoning.

Remove from the flame and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the salad.

Serve warm.



















Note - Additionally nuts and carrots can also be added to this salad to make it more interesting.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Beetroot and Tofu Burger ( Vegan Recipe )

Happy Valentine's day everyone !!

Cheesecake. Brownies. Strawberries. Pomegranate. The visuals on social media have been unrelenting in the run up to the V-day celebrations. And that got my man pissed off. Big time. It's not that he hates desserts but he really wanted to see some real food. Given that I am on a healthy eating streak these days, I had to think hard to come up with something that is not too fussy and yet delicious.

I am yet to find a bloke how can say no to a burger. And that kinda set the stage rolling for a vegan burger which is also low on calories. Giving in to the fascination with hues like pink or red, I added some beetroot for color (and health too) !.

Read on for the recipe -



















Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

  • 100 gm tofu
  • 1 small potato
  • 1 small beetroot
  • 2 tsp finely chopped onion
  • 1/5 tsp ginger paste
  • 1/4 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 pinch cumin
  • 2 pinch coriander
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
  • 2-3 tbsp roasted and crushed peanuts
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp oil 
  • oil spray for pan frying the burger patties


For the crust -

  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp besan
  • a pinch of salt
  • 2 slice of whole wheat bread


For final assembly -

  • onion rings
  • lettuce
  • tomato ketchup
  • Burger buns
  • 2 tbsp vegan mayo
  • a dash of pepper

Preparation - Boil the beetroot and potato in a cooker for 2-3 whistles. Keep aside till steam escapes.
Remove from cooker, peel and grate them into a mixing bowl.

Grate the tofu into the bowl. Mix everything together.

Mix the besan, cornflour and salt with a few teaspoons of water to get a thin batter.

Tear up and throw the bread slices (removing the sides) into a mixer jar. Buzz for a few seconds to get fresh bread crumbs.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the onion and let it sweat a bit. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder and chili powder . Cook for a minute before adding the mashed mixture of tofu, beetroot and potato. Season with salt. Cook for 2-3 mins.

Keep aside to cool. (best to keep it aside for an hour or two so that the flavors get to gel together)

Just before shaping the mix into patties, add the crushed peanuts. Mix and divide into 3-4 equal portions. Shape each one into a round patty ( go for a heart shaped patty if you are feeling extra mushy).

Dip the patties in the batter and roll them over the bread crumbs.

Spray some oil onto a pan. Heat it and place the patties on the pan. Fry on both sides till brown.

Assembling the burger - Toast the burger buns. Layer one with mayo and place the burger patty on it.

Throw on some onion rings and lettuce . Finally season it with some pepper powder and tomato ketchup. Top it with another bun.

Grab it and dig in !!!


Sunday, September 7, 2014

Roasted Corn - Tofu Salad

By now most of you would be aware that I am into substituting at least 1 lunch per week for a salad. I usually prefer to do it when I have had a heavy dinner the previous day or even when I am feeling plain lazy. Along with the mandatory veggies, I also try to include some high protein stuff which helps me keep full for a long time. And one of the best vegan sources of protein is Tofu. Though I have ignored this ingredient for a long time now, I hope to gradually make it a part of my weekly menu.

This is a simple salad and I wanted the dressing to be something very light and tangy. The corn reminded me of the roadside vendors selling the roasted delicacy during the monsoons. They usually rub it with a mix of lemon juice, chili powder and black salt. I have used the same dressing along with a spot of mustard sauce and very little jaggery to add a hint of sweetness.

Read on for the recipe -







Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1/2 cup firm tofu (diced)
  • 1/2 cup roasted corn on the cob
  • 1/2 cup cucumber slices
  • 1 medium sized tomato
  • shredded lettuce (optional)


For the dressing -

  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 pinch red chili powder
  • 2 pinch black salt
  • a dot of mustard sauce (optional)/a pinch of chat masala
  • 1/4 tsp jaggery
  • salt to taste


Preparation - Soak the tofu in hot water for 5 mins. Drain off the water. Allow the tofu to cool.

Using a sharp knife, slice the corn off the cob.

Add all the ingredients for the dressing into a mixing bowl. Whisk together till the jaggery is dissolved.

Soak the cucumber, tomato and lettuce in a bowl of ice cold water to retain their crunch.

Add the tofu, corn, cucumber, lettuce and tomato to the same bowl. Toss together till everything is coated with the dressing.

Serve immediately.


Featured Post

Green Papaya Laddoos (SugarFree recipe)

Mom is undoubtedly the dessert specialist at home. God forbid, if she takes to blogging, she could give a lot of folks a run for their mone...